How come every night I feel high from my Methadone? Please Help?

I just started taking Methadone a week ago. I take it for severe chronic pain, my doctor prescribed it to me. I am wondering if anyone knows why it is every single night I get super high from the Methadone? I don't like it at all, it is so weird. Basically what happens is in the evenings I start to nod off and my body feels all weird, then next think I know I am itchy all over and start to feel like I can't breath very good. I get very twitchy,dizzy, lightheaded, nauseas, and itchy all over. Why is this happening? I feel like I took way to many Vicodin or something because I get so high and I am only taking what my doc prescribed and how he prescribed it just so you know I am not abusing it or taking more than what is indicated on the bottle, I take 10mg 3x's a day. Please help idk what to do or even know if this is normal. I have nodded of 4 times so far typing this.

Responses (2)

It is normal to feel off for the first week or so while you're adjusting to the medication. Once the med is a constant in the system, the majority of symptoms should go away. Breathing issues? You really should talk to your doc about that! It effects the CNS very dramatically, and it sounds like you may be on to large of a dose. If you started out on 10mg 3x's a day, that's starting way to high unless it's for drug abuse. If your doc never mentioned getting an ekg, you need to find another doc who knows what they're doing. Best of luck to you!!Jeff K

Thank you for your answer! He is a pain management doctor and I am on the methadone for the pain, not for drug abuse. He never said anything about getting an ekg he didn't even explain any side effects to me. I guess I need to find someone else.

yah, it's not very common, but nonetheless happens in some individuals who respond to methadone with QT interval prolongation and serious arrhythmia. This is a condition that can cause sudden death. Many doctors treat methadone like Vicodin or Oxycontin when you just can't. The half life of methadone is so bizarrely long that day 1, you take a total of 30mg. The pain killing qualities last for only 4 to 6 hours, but the actual peak effects isn't even reached until the next day. The CNS depression reaching it's max on the second effects the second does like taking double the original 30mg. So on day two you're on 60mg. Day three 70mg (roughly). Over a period of time, the methadone actually builds up in the liver (causing no ill effects) making the methadone dose even higher than what was originally taken simply due to the bodies build up.

I personally take methadone for chronic pain, and it's a great pain killer for certain conditions that most opioids don't work for such as Fibromyalgia. Nonetheless, something to consider before taking this drug for too long, and that is the fact that methadone really is a double edged sword. Many heroin addicts find stopping methadone to be more difficult than was stopping heroin. Due to the long half life, if you where to stop cold turkey it would take a minimum of two weeks, with minor withdrawals lasting for months more. This means that tapering the drug will also be obscenely long. Cold turkey for heroin is one week, and that's it, no residual withdrawals either. While it's not as dangerous as stopping a benzo, it is however extremely hard.

Most doctors only a few years back would give this stuff out for pain like any other Opioid, not even being aware of the half life. A lot of people died from this lack of knowledge. A kid who was on a high school football team got hurt and was put on methadone. It wasn't helping very much, so the mom called to doc. The doc of course told her to double the dose. The following day the kid died. The hear arrhythmia is a tell tale sign that your doc isn't fully informed on the procedure of putting someone on methadone, in addition to the 30mg. Most doctors would start a person out on 15mg by the most, and usually less. Then... they would go up 5mg every week or so.

I would talk to your doctor regarding these facts, look up the info yourself on this site so that you have a reliable source other than my word, and ask him regarding his prescribing practice and why (so that he can be made aware of proper procedure - there should also be a guide for prescribing this med on the description if I'm not mistaken)

Superb answer, Jeff! It's very informative, especially to someone new who's just recently been prescribed this medication. Well done!

Hi adub916! Welcome to Drugs.com! This methadone dosage does seem high when considering that it's the initial dose. Please either get back to this pain management doctor or else get a different doctor. This would definitely not be my first choice for a pain med.

Jeff, Thank you so much for your very informative answer, it is a lot of help to me being a newbie and all. This medication scares me and I know that when the doctor prescribed it to me he did not tell me any of this info, did not tell me what to look out for or anything. on the first couple days of this medicine I was having irregular heartbeat where it felt like my heart was skipping beats or something funny like that. I also thought it was a strong dose for just starting out. I am going to take your advice and look up the links you gave me and also have a chat with my PM doc. I was taking norco 10 mg for the pain 6 a day and it was not helping at all so that is why he put me on the Methadone. I too have Fibromyalgia and they are testing me for Rheumatoid arthritis and they are thinking I probably have that as well. Idk its just been a long road and I am only 34 feeling like and 80 yr old the Methadone is amazing at reliving the pain but as I said the side effects scare me. Thank you again for the awesome and informative answer! Have a great day!!

There is one more thing that I would like to add in regards to the Methadone. Turns out that Methadone as well as Tramadol (I think, but am not sure) release the COX-3 enzyme unlike any of the other Opioid type drugs. It is this action that makes Methadone work for certain types of chronic pain such as fibromyalgia, where as the other's do not. Although Methadone commonly brings up very strong opinions, it is however the only truly strong medication for certain types of chronic pain. If it is taken with the care of a doctor who has experience as well as knowledge of the medication, it really is an extremely safe option. As long as you're aware that tapering off methadone could very well take many months to accomplish (not looking to have kids anytime soon), it can be a life saver.

If you take benzos in addition to methadone and or a high dosage of methadone, it can cause you to randomly nod off during the day-time. I personally have this trouble and as a result had to take Nuvigil and now Ritalin due to loosing my job, and eventually could no longer afford insurance. There really is allot to think about, and is a benefit vs. harm ratio that only you can determine. Once again, best of luck to you!!! Jeff K

oh yah, one more thing... know what you mean - I'm 35 and felt like 85 prior to getting any meds that helped. Then... I felt like a junkie, nodding off, eye's rolling up, etc. Now I feel as normal as is possible with the addition of a stimulant and reducing the benzo as well as stopping any other meds that I could.

Methadone is a narcotic, opioid medication. It binds to opioid receptors throughout the body and produces numerous different effects. It works for pain just like other opioids.

he most common side effects of methadone are thought to include: Nausea; Vomiting; Lightheadedness; Dizziness; Sedation; Sweating.

Other possible bothersome (but not usually serious) side effects that have been reported include but are not limited to: Weakness; Headaches; Flushing; Loss of appetite; Abdominal pain (stomach pain); Constipation; Dry mouth; Flushing of the skin; Weight gain; Insomnia; Decreased sex drive.

In general, side effects usually become less noticeable after the first several weeks of use, although sweating and constipation often persist.

If you think the side effects are too bothersome? Please speak to the doc who prescribed the med to give you some alternative remedy which might be more comfortable.